TRAI extends deadline for customer application forms in NCR

In a temporary relief for cable TV subscribers in NCR who have not submitted the mandatory customer application form, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to postpone its deadline for blocking services to such consumers to July 10.
TRAI had earlier set June 25 as the deadline after which the cable TV services of those who have not submitted the forms to Local Cable Operators (LCOs) or Multi System Operators (MSOs) would be blocked.
Filling of these forms, which contain the customer's details along with his preference of TV channels is mandatory following the installation of Set Top Boxes (STB) under the government's digitisation drive.

Broadcasting regulator TRAI decided to postpone the deadline after it received requests from MSOs who were actively pursuing customers to fill up the forms.
Officials said that while forms for only 20 per cent of total 2.8 million STBs installed in the NCR had been received till two weeks back, the figure has climbed to nearly 55 per cent now.
LCOs will have to collect and submit form to MSOs who provide signal feed to them. MSOs are also mandated to provide bill to their customers and charge as per the amount mentioned in the bill, officials said.

If a customer in Delhi NCR area fails to submit his form to local cable TV operator or MSO by July 10, his services will be terminated and will not be resumed till the time the form is submitted, officials said.

TRAI had earlier prosecuted 14 local cable operators and an MSO for failing to implement subscriber management system under which they need to have complete details of subscribers, including choice of channels.
Officials said that the filling up of these forms and the maintenance of a subscriber management system was essential to bring transparency to the system and ensure that the benefits of digitisation reach the consumer.